Paint It Blackwell

NRO ^ | 1/10/05 | Tim Carney

[freespirited]

Unlike the Jesse Jackson-led Democratic convulsions after the 2000 election was settled, Thursday's shenanigans on the House floor were not primarily an effort to delegitimize George W. Bush's presidency. ash

The number-one target of the protest of Ohio's vote was the most promising African-American Republican politician in the country: Ohio secretary of state Kenneth Blackwell. A word count of the Congressional Record makes the case clearly: George Bush's name was mentioned 109 times during the debate, while Ken Blackwell's was mentioned 149.

When you take into account that many of the Bush mentions were made by Republicans, and that every mention of Blackwell was in a statement by a Democrat, it is clear who the real target of Thursday's proceedings was.

With no black Republicans in the House, Senate, or any governorships, Blackwell is one of the highest-ranking elected African Americans in the GOP. On top of that, he is a true conservative, so much so that the Ohio Republican establishment and Governor Bob Taft find him intolerably irritating.

In 2000, the nasty attacks on Katherine Harris had nothing to do with Harris herself; she simply made a convenient target in the Democrats' attempts to overturn the Bush victory, and then to delegitimize him. With Ohio, it really is about Blackwell.

As a party, the Democrats need to fear Blackwell. He is skilled, conservative, and on his way up. He could be governor in a couple years and who knows where he could go from there. So Democrats have an interest in sullying his name before it gets big.

After Thursday's debates and the protests Ohio Democrats have raised since the election, once Blackwell's name is mentioned on the national stage again, every major newspaper reporter will reflexively call him a "controversial figure" who is "at the heart of the much-criticized 2004 election in Ohio."

If Blackwell is weighed down with this baggage before he gets too big, not only will a possible gubernatorial, senatorial, or presidential candidate be eliminated, but national Democrats will also continue pointing out the embarrassing whiteness of the GOP. If you lined up every elected Republican in Washington and all the governors, you would be looking at over 300 white faces. The only black Republicans in prominent positions are appointed. That's bad PR for the GOP, and good news for the Democrats.

Miguel Estrada knows how this works. Democrats, as their memos revealed, found Estrada "especially dangerous because. . . he is Latino." It's not that Dick Durbin and Pat Leahy's staff think Hispanics are inherently more "dangerous," it's that they don't want to be seen opposing one for the High Court, when all of America will be watching. He had to be stopped before then.

The attack dogs of personal destruction succeeded with their preemptive strike on Estrada, and now they'll try with Blackwell.

Estrada and Blackwell both suffered a particular brand of racism mostly practiced by Democrats against minorities. Democrats attacked Estrada's conservatism, saying he clearly did not represent the views of the Hispanic community, much like how Clarence Thomas is said to be not truly black because of his political philosophy.

The presumption behind this attack is that while whites can believe anything they want, blacks and Hispanics need to follow their leftist "community leaders" or they are sell-outs.

Similarly, Blackwell is offensive to the Congressional Black Caucus because he doesn't follow their strict orders. For the crime of being a black conservative, they skewer him. On the floor, Rep. Maxine Waters had this gem:

Ohio's partisan secretary of state, Mr. Kenneth Blackwell, I am ashamed to say an African-American man has failed to follow even Ohio's election procedures, let alone procedures that comply with Federal law and constitutional requirements. Our ancestors who died for the right to vote certainly must be turning over in their graves.

While Barbara Boxer and the congressmen who led Thursday's inanity made themselves look bad, they may consider that a fine tradeoff if they can rub some dirt on a promising black Republican.

[xzins]

Some other Taft genetic progeny, DeWine, or Voinovich.

All 3 are Rinos.

All 3 are part of Ohio's aristocracy.

Blackwell's resume makes them all look like pikers.

[NewLand]

I wonder if Blackwell could be denied the nomination the way the GA Republicans did in 2004 to Herman Cain?

You are right that the GA party apparatus backed Isakson, not Cain...that was to be expected. However, I think Herman's campaign made some key mistakes in his ads, etc and that did not help attract enough people that did not know him but recognized Isakson (casual voter).

I was a Cain supporter...FYI.

Blackwell is more of an insider than Cain so his odds are much higher.

[AuH2ORepublican]

"I wonder if Blackwell could be denied the nomination the way the GA Republicans did in 2004 to Herman Cain?"

---

If Senator DeWine runs for governor, as has been rumored, then the party establishment will back him even more strongly than the GA GOP backed Isakson in 2004. But Mr, Blackwell starts off in a much better position than Mr. Cain did in GA, since Blackwell has already been elected statewide on a couple of occasions and has been a vocal opponent of RINO Governor Taft's tax policies.

I think Blackwell will be the clear frontrunner unless DeWine jumps in, but if DeWine jumps it will be much more difficult for him, and perhaps a deal will be struck to avoid a bloody primary (such as Blackwell being appointed to DeWine's Senate seat). But I hope that DeWine stays in the Senate and allows Blackwell to win the governorship.

[PhiKapMom]

Then Ohioians need to do what we did in Oklahoma -- get behind Blackwell and get the grassroots out for the primary and he will be your nominee. Time to start is right now IMHO!

Organize your grassroots in every part of the State and you can win!

[Coop]

Fascinating stuff. That word count (Dubya vs. KB) really cuts through all the BS, doesn't it?

[Pusterfuss]

I do hate democrats!

[Clintonfatigued]

If Ken Blackwell does run for Governor, he will have equally known primary competition. State Attorney General Jim Petro and state Auditor Betty Montgomery are also in the running.

[Clintonfatigued]

"Jennette Bradley, another black Republican, is the Lieutenant Governor"

That's no longer the case. Bradley was recently appointed state Treasurer. The post is currently held my Bruce Johnson, a former state Director of Developement.

[Kuksool]

According to the exit polls, Bush won 16% of the OH black vote. A higher rate than any other battleground state. I suspect the presence of Ken Blackwell had something to do with it. Last year was a horrible year for African-American conservative. We had 3 electable candidates: Dylan Glenn, Vernon Robinson, and Herman Cain. Instead, the primary voters selected boring, white RINOS. These defeats give the Left cheap fodder to say the GOP is hostile to minorities, especially with the elections of Ken Salazar and Barack Obama. I suspect RINOS want the GOP to flop on minority outreach. Because the type of minorities open to the GOP message are social conservative ones. RINOS figure the less social conservatives, the better. In fact many RINOS think using abortion to reduce the minority population strengthens them politically.

[AuH2ORepublican]

"I suspect RINOS want the GOP to flop on minority outreach. Because the type of minorities open to the GOP message are social conservative ones. RINOS figure the less social conservatives, the better."

---

Very good point. The only "minority outreach" RINOs want to take part in is meeting with liberal blacks like Jesse Jackson and saying "you see, we need to be "pro-choice" on abortion, pro-affirmative action and pro-gun control in order to win the black vote."

[AuH2ORepublican]

"Bradley was recently appointed state Treasurer. The post is currently held my Bruce Johnson, a former state Director of Developement."

---

I guess yesterday just wasn't my day. But Howard Metzenbaum and John Glenn are still Ohio's two Senators, right? : )

[The Old Hoosier]

Lynn Westmoreland (R-Ga) was more conservative than Dylan Glenn.

[RockinRight]

How right you were.